A "historic" class of 12 people appointed to the New York State Court of Claims brings an array of personal and professional backgrounds, including three first-generation Americans that will bring diverse and expert perspective to the court, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Friday.

The Court of Claims is an exclusive forum for civil litigation seeking damages against New York or certain other state entities, including the Thruway Authority, the City University of New York, the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp., and the state Power Authority.